A Step from Heaven, by An Na, 2001

Heaven is in the sky, and Young Ju and her parents emigrate from Korea to America by airplane, so, Young Ju concludes, America must be heaven! But not even California, nor the birth of a son, can soften her father's abusive anger and drinking. Young Ju's struggles at school and at home are poetically depicted, elegantly showing both the plight of immigrants and the terror of domestic abuse. Uplifting in both its lyrical grace and in the triumphs it affords brave Young Ju; strongly recommended.